An Unseen Anomaly within Enclosed Space
by The Crimson Ghost
Summary: Just a small, sweet story about finding love in unexpected places. Rated for some fluffiness. Koizumi X Nagato.


**Author's note**: I don't own any of the Suzumiya Haruhi characters, I just write for fun. The characters belong to Tanigawa Nagaru but the story belongs to me. Reviews would be nice, but aren't required. I haven't written anything much in a long time so it would be good for me if you could. Though this story is a one shot, I might write something more later on. Though this coupling doesn't have any real basis, I think it'd be cute.

**Koizumi x Nagato**

**"An Unseen Anomaly within Enclosed Space"**

He really didn't know when this fascination happened; it just suddenly appeared one day. On that day, he suddenly decided to turn his gaze away from his usual games and saw her for the first time all over again. At first he thought he might have been coming down with a cold, however as the months went by the feeling still did not leave him. He hid it away pretty well, away from the prying eyes of anyone who expected anything else out of him.

Today he momentarily took himself away from his self-played chess game and happened to catch her in his range of vision. Her head, full of short, light hair was tipped down ever so slightly and her obsidian eyes were focused solely on the pages before her. Her small figure wasn't hunched over the book, simply set in a way that appeared very serene. With her petite frame against the slowly descending sun, he felt like he was watching a still painting; his eyes were drinking in the sight of her greedily.

Her slim fingers ran along the edge of each page, caressing each piece of paper lovingly as if it were something precious. He remained still for a few moments longer before catching himself and turned his gaze to the various other members of the Brigade to see if they noticed his momentary lapse in self indulgence. As usual, Asahina Mikuru, the brigade's resident mascot character was so busily absorbed in her tea making that she couldn't have noticed him. Kyon, the only certified human in the room, was shoveling the leftovers of his lunch into his mouth while reading his manga with a slightly dispassionate expression.

His eyes turned over to Suzumiya Haruhi, who was busily shouting out several commands through a bright yellow megaphone towards Kyon, who in turn promptly tried ignoring her while saying, "Let me finish eating first!" He found himself automatically smiling, the corners of his mouth already pulled into that Cheshire like smile that they all knew. Inwardly however, he felt… off. Though he would not voice as such to anyone else, he was a bit afraid of Kyon actually reading his mood. Out of all the brigade members, besides himself, he was the most observant.

Fiddling with a rook between his thumb and ring finger, the Esper of the Brigade shifted his gaze back to the picturesque Nagato. Since his eyes appeared to be closed, no one really took notice so he continued feeding her image into his eyes, allowing himself a few moments of weakness.

When they had all met, he didn't think much of any of them save for Suzumiya Haruhi. After all, it was because of her that he was an Esper at all. Nagato was a representative from a different group as well as Asahina. All three represented parties who wanted to maintain the status quo. Though their missions differed, a single thing tied them together: keep Suzumiya from destroying the universe until the day she dies; that was their combined mission. They each had differing reasons for it, but they all found a way to coexist.

His face betrayed any emotion he was feeling, though what the feeling itself was, he had no clue. It was a first for him to be so completely infatuated with anyone besides Suzumiya, which was a bit surprising to him. His eyes traced her slender white neck, the hairs on the back of her head lightly bristling with a small breeze that came in from the window. He felt he could continue watching her forever…

Suddenly, her book closed, signaling the end of the club day. Suzumiya gave some last minute instructions, causing the time traveler and the ordinary human to groan. Exempt from this trial were himself as well as the resident alien. Apparently the trial would last three consecutive days, Koizumi briefly smiled towards himself. At least now he could get a little rest, putting up this façade in front of everyone every single day was beginning to blur the line between the self he projected and his real self.

They all filed out accordingly, the three girls in front as usual while Koizumi and Kyon walked behind. For a while, neither spoke before Kyon turned his poignant gaze towards him, "You're awfully quiet today; are you planning something?"

Though genuinely surprised internally, he merely exaggerated that surprise on his features and twisted it, Koizumi threw his hands up in the air while shrugging at the same time, "My, my, you've caught me," he lied, "I was thinking of trying to get Asahina-san to help me time-travel to the past to stop a rather embarrassing event." The way he spoke, he almost sounded as if he were singing.

"Ugh," groaned Kyon, "stop talking like that, it's gross. Forget I asked."

"Dually noted," he answered cheerfully.

He almost faltered; Kyon's ability to notice the little discrepancies was frightening. His powers of observation were profound and well deserved, perfect for the SOS Brigade who had nothing but weirdness all around them. Thankfully, however, for the next three days he wouldn't have to worry about either Suzumiya or Kyon and afford himself a little well earned rest.

* * *

The next day, the club room was completely empty when Koizumi entered. His hand drew up to his brown hair, lightly brushing his bangs away from his eyes. After quietly shutting the door, he allowed himself to drop his mask, his eyes half opened as he made his way towards the windows of the club room. Unlocking the hinges, he opened up the windows, allowing a comforting breeze to circulate into the room. His eyes turned upward as he noticed the clear blue sky high above him. Such a day was so completely perfect that it gave him a bit of a headache. He really was a person who enjoyed overcast skies much more.

Sighing listlessly, he turned back to the long table in the center of the room while he flipped out his phone. Checking the messages, he was notified that some members of his organization would be trailing the group so he could relax for the next three days. Letting out a brief sigh, he shut the phone immediately and set it to vibrate. Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he dropped himself unceremoniously into a seat at the table.

Folding his arms on the cool surface of the table, he rested his temple onto his forearm, turning his eyes lazily to the scenery outside. Since his mask was dropped, he didn't feel the need to pull it back on. He had once told the Student Council President that he should not forget who he really is; the fact that Koizumi himself was experiencing this dilemma was a clear indication how much he should follow his own advice.

It would be so incredibly easy to lose himself to the character he portrayed, because Suzumiya expected such a character out of him, it was incredibly taxing on his psyche to be performing every single day. Even when by himself he would suddenly catch himself subconsciously performing those hand gestures or giving out long winded speeches that no one cared for. Though it was to be expected that performing such actions day after day would have some effect on his personal habits, he really disliked the fact it was influencing him so much.

Oh, how he envied the others, they all acted like themselves. No matter how strange or weird, they would act as they normally would while he on the other hand would remain fixed in this role he had created for himself. He sighed mentally, he really should have just started off acting as himself, it might not have been as pleasant as the one he portrayed, but at least he could be himself.

Closing his eyes, he curled up against his arms and decided to rest his weary mind. He noted that Nagato was not in the room finally, so surmised she was probably floating around the Computer Club room. Despite the thought of allowing himself to indulge in gazing at her, his tired mind felt it best that he was indeed alone. At least he didn't have to keep smiling. Quietly with the cool breeze caressing his cheek, he let out a contented sigh and found himself easily dozing away into the comforting embrace of sleep.

Time was meaningless and inside of his mind, he slept a dreamless sleep. It was both tiring and comforting at the same time; on the one hand, he wasn't dreaming anything weird, on the other hand he wasn't dreaming at all. Had his life become so devoid of honesty that he couldn't desire anything for himself?

He stirred to the light footsteps of the individual who came with the room. Though almost unnoticeable, his hearing was superb as well as his sight. With a small clatter, he surmised the resident Humanoid Interface had recently returned to her dwelling and usual sitting. Shifting his stiff shoulders lightly, he slowly opened his eyes, finding two dark eyes looking back at him like the glass eyes of a doll. Her face was framed by her bangs, along with her pale, porcelain white skin it made her seem even more doll like.

Bringing his right hand up to his forehead, he glanced out the window before he slowly sat upright, bringing his other hand to his shoulder while he stretched. Murmuring without drawing his mask back to his features, he inquired with his true voice, "How long have I been asleep…?"

She remained silent and continued staring at him, pausing for a few moments then looking downward towards the floor. After a brief deliberation, it seemed as if she had come to the conclusion that it would be acceptable to continue a conversation with him, "One hour, thirty eight minutes, forty seven seconds."

Her statement was, as usual, dry, concise, and to the point. He did like that about her, she didn't beat around the bush nor did she try to sugar coat anything. He understood just about everything that came out of her mouth despite the wordiness that sometimes came with anything she explained. In some ways they were the complete opposites of one another; in others they were remarkably similar.

Looking out the window tiredly, he remained with his fingers pushed through his bangs and lightly clutched at his hair. The sun had barely begun its descent, it would be another hour or two before the time they usually dismissed themselves would come around. Sighing, he said more to himself than his present company, "…only that long… huh…?"

He noticed her gaze fixated upon him once more as he turned his seat towards her and propped his elbow on the table. Now that he didn't have to hide his inquiring looks from anyone, Koizumi decided a little conversation would be best to pass the time; after all, he was awake now.

"So, truthfully, why do you follow Kyon's orders instead of Suzumiya-san's?"

He thought it was weird, though maybe it was a sort of balance within the room. As he followed Suzumiya's orders without question, the fact that she followed Kyon's orders without question was… well to balance that dynamic. At least this is the fact he told himself.

The girl before him remained still, her fingers lightly set at her lap; it was quite odd for there not to be a book at her fingertips. For a moment he wondered if she even heard him at all, as she had not blinked or moved for a time. Apparently gathering her thoughts, she finally replied, "As I do not have a clear understanding of human emotions or activities that are considered normal, it is best to ask a normal human being the answer to such queries."

Well she did have a point. Suzumiya was out of the ordinary to say the least, using her or the resident fairy as an example would be disastrous. However it was that unwavering spirit which attracted him... to an extent. However knowing Suzumiya's feelings…well… it just sort of made it hard for him to even step onto that particular field without getting shot down immediately. It was like fighting with a musket against a variable speed particle beam rifle. There simply was no contest.

Letting out a sigh, Koizumi found himself taken aback as Nagato asked in return, "Why do you follow Suzumiya-san's orders?"

Koizumi remained in his sitting position, his cheek propped on his palm, "To keep her entertained. Though it might sound absurd, the fact of the matter is that I can go along with such outrageous ideas without a care is because of the existence of you, Kyon, and Asahina-san."

She blinked once, "Explain."

Smiling a bit, Koizumi felt a small tinge of happiness; this was possibly the longest conversation he'd ever had with her. "I can act the way I do regardless of the outcome because Kyon is able to keep Suzumiya-san's ideas down to earth for the most part; in lieu of the fact that some of her ideas do run out of control subconsciously, there is you who is able to fix these things. In that respect I admire you both very much. As for Asahina-san… well you've seen how Suzumiya-san plays with her."

Nagato's saucer like irises remained fixed upon him as if trying to fathom his meaning. Koizumi could see his image very clearly against her dark eyes, a pleasant sensation running down his back while he watched her. Shifting his eyes away before the feeling consumed him, he looked outside, deciding to throw another question at her, "I know this sounds sudden, but do you have any desires after all this is done?"

"Desires?" she echoed.

Nodding slightly, Koizumi tipped his head to the other side, his eyes remaining fixed on the horizon, "Yeah, like what you're going to do after all this is said and done."

Confused, Nagato's pretty face tilted two centimeters to the right; reading her expression correctly, Koizumi reiterated, "What do you want after all this?"

Nagato seemed to be lost to the question. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally replied, "I will continue to observe."

Koizumi's eyes half closed as he turned his eyes to her. Her mission, her very being was to observe Suzumiya. Though his mission was similar, he wanted to have a desire after this whole thing was over. Even if it was strange or ridiculous, he wanted something to enjoy when Suzumiya stopped creating Shinjin; for he wanted to have a purpose outside of his "work".

Looking towards her tenderly, Koizumi slowly gathered himself up and took a few steps towards Nagato. Gazing down towards her, he reached out gently and brushed his fingertips by her bangs and lightly settled his fingertips against her cool cheek. The feeling of her soft skin was like touching velvet he noted, his eyes simply observing her for a reaction.

Her eyes turned up to him, the depthless darkness of her eyes shimmering with a hint of chrome along the edges of her irises. Nagato kept her eyes focused on him, attempting to read what he meant by this subtle gesture. His fingers lightly caressed her cheek, tenderly drawing his fingers repeatedly over the side of her face as he continued the motion and remained silent. He noticed her eyes following his arm movement and her eyes, though not changing much in terms of expression, was trying to categorize what he was doing.

Lightly, his fingers drew up towards her temple, his finger gently tracing where the leg of glasses once were, which she seemed to have noticed, slowly drawing his finger up her ear, and then around the lobe, his eyes continued to watch hers with some small amount of expectancy. He really didn't know what was spurring him on to do these things, it would be incredibly embarrassing otherwise but just this subtle touching, with her eyes fixated on him… it made him feel content… He honestly had no clue what he was expecting out of this.

Such a strange feeling had welled within him, he wanted desperately to hold this small girl in his arms; however the fact remained that she could change reality around him at a whim and if she didn't like what he was doing, he could find himself erased. Stopping after a few moments of his indulgent moment, Koizumi let out a small sigh and shifted back on his heels, dropping back into his previous seat. His eyes half opened, he sat like a puppet with its strings cut off.

For a few minutes he remained still before taking a deep breath. Offering her a genuine smile, Koizumi whispered while he leaned over to her, placing his hands lightly over hers, "Thank you… for letting me do that."

He really was grateful, he felt a little lighter and more relaxed, though at the same time a bit embarrassed by his weakness. He was sure he was confusing her with such strange things, but he couldn't help himself. Without his constant guard of his true identity, he felt a bit more freedom to do as he pleased. Pulling himself away, he noticed Nagato's head still tipped very slightly towards the right, looking at him with what he surmised to be a puzzled expression.

He smiled again at her almost child-like interaction and waved a hand in the air, "Try not to think too much about it, I'm just… not myself lately; either as the Koizumi that Suzumiya-san sees, nor as the one you're seeing right now."

With that, he gathered himself and wandered to the corner of the room that held their laptops. Running his fingertip down the small stack, he found his labeled simply with the kanji for "one", and pulled his laptop from the stack. Walking back to the table, he flipped on the power switch and propped his elbow on the back of the chair. Setting his cheek against his knuckles, he began humming cheerfully.

Koizumi ran through several programs, noticing connectivity to their new wireless router, while doing so. The computer club had been generous enough to upgrade their laptops with wireless capabilities so it made it easier for them to use within the club room. They even got a printer hooked up remotely to the router as well which made typing out papers easier. Since he didn't own a PC, the laptop was rather convenient.

Rotating his wrist lightly he started up the solitaire program and rested quietly, deciding that after having indulged himself like that, it was enough for that day. Though that strange feeling throbbed in the left side of his chest again, he couldn't help but feel just a little bit happy. After all, it was the first time in a long time that he'd been able to act like himself and not the Koizumi Itsuki everyone knew of as of now.

Pausing for a few moments, he noticed Nagato still hadn't picked up a book just yet and started reading as per her usual function; instead she was simply staring at him as if captivated by some unseen force. Scooting his seat back a bit, Koizumi turned to her, his brows knitting together in a bit of concern.

"Are you okay, Nagato-san?"

She briefly broke her gaze from him, fixing her eyes on the floor as if trying to word her sentence into something comprehensible. Nagato's dark eyes seemed to shift focus to the edge of her skirt and for a brief, fleeting moment, Koizumi couldn't help but believe she was quite lovely looking like that.

She drew her eyes back to him and said in a voice that was almost a ghostly whisper, "I do not understand."

His forehead creased slightly, his brows pushing upward, "Do not understand what?"

Fidgeting, the resident alien of the SOS Brigade was uncharacteristically tugging at the edge of her skirt. Despite the lack of change in her face, her eyes minutely offered her troubled expression. Her mouth opened as if to speak, only to close the next second.

The Esper let out a quiet sigh; though he felt better about the strange feeling that welled within him, he had also troubled Nagato's functioning capabilities in the process apparently. Such a blunder, he really shouldn't have let down his guard… Pushing out of his seat, he wandered before Nagato and sat in front of her on his haunches. His knees lightly touched her shins while he peered up at the small, confused face looking back at him.

The throbbing in his chest was increasing and his expression changed into a concerned one. Her eyes were shimmering with that slight chrome color, showing that she was trying to process what had gone on between them as the situation had been unfamiliar. He really was stupid, causing trouble like this while indulging his own needs. Drawing away from his real self, the mask crept upon his features as easily as turning on the faucet. Slowly closing his eyes, the corners of his mouth began to pull upward into that fake smile he usually offered as he spoke, leveling his voice and ignored the feeling of being so near to the smaller girl while lying to her.

"Ah I'm sorry Nagato-san; I must have confused you with all that weird talk. I shan't do such a thing again so please forget what happe-"

Nagato's next action caused Koizumi to stop abruptly, his eyes opening immediately at the gesture. Her small, slim fingers slid along his upper cheek bones and her palms cupped his cheeks gently as if cradling something precious. Her face was still in that expressionless mask so close to that of a Noh actor, yet the look inside of her depthless eyes caused a small moment where his breath was whisked away.

Appearing to piece her words together, he noticed her eyes half closing as her voice followed, a tender, beautiful, and quiet sound escaping her small mouth, "…you do not have to hide… in front of me…"

He felt his face heating up at her cold touch; her normally expressionless face showing an attempt to console him just caused his heart to momentarily stop beating. He wasn't sure if he was elated or having a minor heart attack, he was quite sure his expression showed a level of surprise he usually hid away. Did she even know what she was saying? Did she even understand what kind of feeling was consuming him in her just saying those few simple words?

After the initial shock had left him, Koizumi's eyes softened upon her visage, his bangs trailing into his face as he asked quietly, his true voice shaking uncontrollably, "Why're… you saying such things…? It just makes me want to fall in deeper…"

"…deeper?" she asked with a surprisingly soothing tone of her voice and a minor tilt of her pretty face.

Setting his hand against her knee, he elevated himself ever so slightly towards her. His next action even surprised him as he drew his free hand to one of hers, his mouth covering the small Humanoid Interface's with a very simple, quiet, and chaste kiss. Her eyes had widened just a fraction of a millimeter in shock as well, though slowly, they found their eyes closing. He held his mouth to hers for what seemed like a small eternity, his hand gently squeezing hers while she held his face still.

The feeling he felt when their lips met was like electricity, though he wasn't sure if it was actual electricity or just his imagination. Either way it exhilarated him, the feeling of her holding him like that was so fantastically new and sweet, his mind was spinning in circles. His confusion deepened but in a good sort of way; the confusion wasn't whether or not this was right or wrong, no, it was more like why he didn't try doing this before. He shivered as her hands gently gripped his face, a small trembling running through her small hands.

Slowly, reluctantly, he parted from her mouth, his face hovering a few centimeters from hers, her expression appearing to be fixed for a few seconds with her eyes closed. Though it appeared as if she had shut down completely, her unexpectedly heavy breath rolled off the edges of his lips, and her chest showed the visibility of her breathing as her eyes slowly opened. The whole act was unexpected for both parties but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, he was almost tempted to delve into the feeling once more to confirm the desire in his heart.

Gazing at her quietly, he slowly drew his eyes away in embarrassment while she observed him tenderly. Despite her usually emotionless exterior, there was a faint stain of crimson across her cheekbones, he was sure his face was burning just as hot as hers. He shivered a bit at his weakness yet whispered quietly enough for only her to hear, "You're making me fall deeper in love with you…"

The word, though it came out of his own mouth was quite foreign to him. He knew it was especially foreign for Nagato, who didn't understand such concepts, at least logistically. She appeared just as confused as he was and for that he was grateful he wasn't the only one not understanding themselves or the terribly wonderful feeling that stirred within both of them.

* * *

Three days had come and gone, Koizumi was back in the swing of his usual foray into the weirdness that was the SOS Brigade. Currently, the handsome blabbermouth was engaged in a game of poker with the only other male in the Brigade. Asahina was absent from the room, the club room's resident fairy had some pressing activities with her class. Suzumiya, on the other hand, was on clean up duty for the next week or so, so the life in the club room was relatively peaceful. Setting a couple of cards down, Koizumi drew two more cards and peered over his hand towards Kyon.

"I forgot to ask, how was the event with Suzumiya-san? Did you get to do any time traveling?" he asked in his usual, sickeningly cheerful demeanor. Even Koizumi thought it sounded annoying, but it fit his character pretty well.

Kyon who set down a single card while drawing one more replied with distaste, "Terrible, she had me riding my bike with her on the handle bars and Asahina-san on the back. Though I don't mind Asahina-san; that idiot Haruhi was flailing around and nearly got us all killed."

Shaping his mouth into an O-shape, Koizumi replied with an exaggerated, "Oh my."

Kyon's face looked as if he had eaten some sort of insect as he replied, "Ugh stop making that face, it's disgusting."

Smiling once more, Koizumi set out his hand which consisted of simply a pair and a bunch of junk cards, "I'm just a tad jealous that you got to spend three days with two beautiful women."

Laughing hollowly, Kyon set down his hand, which was a straight while he quipped dryly, "As if I could enjoy the scenery. If it were simply just Asahina-san I'd be fine but that damn Haruhi just will not stop being such a pest." He paused to lightly tap his forehead with his fingertips, "That idiot just gives me nothing but trouble and headaches."

The door opened quietly with the master of the room floating in like a ghostly apparition. The small girl made her way to her usual seat and drew out a rather thick, dictionary sized novel from her school bag. Kyon dealt out another hand while glancing in Nagato's direction, "How was your three day pseudo vacation Nagato?"

Momentarily taking her attention away from the pages, her depthless gaze focused upon the two males of the room briefly before she spoke concisely, "It was interesting."

Kyon seemed somewhat impressed as he replied, "Oh? Well that's good; a break from Haruhi is bound to be a good thing for anyone."

"Good," the Humanoid Interface echoed before turning her eyes back to the book upon her lap.

Peering at his hand, Koizumi smiled inwardly; they decided to keep what happened between them a secret. He was always one for secrets, but this one was more selfish than anything else he kept quiet about. They had spent their time in the club room usually sitting together, reading and talking. The feelings between them swelled rapidly, as if a seal had been broken and it all just came gushing out. They got to know one another and he would only show his real face to her. In turn, her developing human characteristics, she would only show to him. They had an unspoken little pact between them and it was this that he cherished.

He had given her a number of kisses for those three days, but their first one was possibly the most memorable to him. He took the cards handed and checked his hand. His gaze, though obscured by his mostly closed eyes, slid in Nagato's direction. That girl had been on the same page for quite a bit of time already he noticed and assumed she was watching him in return.

This was how their relationship would be for now; the future wasn't set in stone so they both had time. He told Kyon once that he would be on his side if it came down to the Agency or the SOS Brigade. Though he had half heartedly meant it, now he was quite sure he would be on any side with Nagato on it. He felt a bit elated that he had found something… someone to care about enough to give up everything for. Even though they were both involved in each other's work, even though a relationship between co-workers would more than likely not work out, he still desired her and her company.

Koizumi peered over his hand once more and said with a bit of amusement, "How about we bet a couple cans of coffee on this one? Loser treats. What with Asahina-san not here and all, it would be nice."

Kyon looked towards Koizumi with a look of disdain, "You're terrible at bluffing."

Laughing quietly, Koizumi smiled as he set down three cards on the table, drawing three more while he spoke, "C'mon, I might actually win this time."

Frowning slightly, then sighing, Kyon shut one eye as he replied, "Fine, loser gets the coffee."

Kyon set a couple cards onto the table while drawing another two. Both readying themselves, they both set down their cards at the same time. In Koizumi's hand were two pairs, in Kyon's hand, however, was a royal straight flush.

Koizumi wrinkled his nose while he threw up his hands, shrugging in his usual manner, "I guess I'm no good at this game either."

"Get me the vanilla coffee one," said Kyon, suddenly cheerful.

With the corners of his mouth drooping exaggeratedly, Koizumi replied, "But that's 200 yen."

Grinning, Kyon pointed towards him, "You said you'd treat if I won."

Sighing just as exaggeratedly, Koizumi shrugged again, "No sympathy for the loser huh? Alright then."

Briskly, the Esper wandered out of the club room and closed the door behind him. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he fished out his loose change, his brow wrinkling while he looked over the coins in his palm. "Hm… with Kyon's drink I'll only be able to procure two…"

Sighing at his misfortune, he had hoped that he would be able to get Nagato a drink as well. Asahina was involved in a small class event and wouldn't be able to brew her usual tea which had become a hallmark of sitting in the clubroom. It was something he was grateful for, though at this moment it seemed as if he took such a luxury for granted. He was thirsty as well; it would be hard to continue the day at this rate.

Stopping before the machine after a few hundred paces, he looked over the machine and set the coins into it. Pressing the button first for Kyon's drink, he fished it out immediately, and placed it gingerly on top of the machine. Looking over the rest of the selection, he pondered whether or not he wanted a cold or hot drink. Placing the coins into the machine, he opted for something cold and bitter as he pressed the button.

As he reached in for the drink, he felt a small tug at his sleeve, the gesture so minute that if he weren't more aware of his surroundings he would have ignored it altogether. Glancing over his shoulder, he dropped the mask he usually wore and smiled down at the girl who held onto his sleeve.

"I wasn't sure if you were partial to bitter or sugary coffee," he said with a small smile.

Her obsidian orbs focused on his eyes as she looked up at him, her eyes half closing as she replied while her expression softened, "Either or is fine."

Nodding a bit, he said in return, "Since I don't have enough money for another one, you want half of mine?"

She looked thoughtful for a few moments and her head tilted very slightly forward. Koizumi smiled a bit more genuinely as he popped open the can he was holding and offered it to her. Taking the can into both her hands, she cradled the coffee quietly before drinking the beverage with a contented expression. She turned a bit and leaned her shoulder lightly against him while she drank, her eyes seemingly fixed on his tie.

His arms lightly rested around her shoulders while he leaned in against the side of the drink machine, hiding her away against him. After a few moments Nagato offered out the can to him, remaining still against him as he took the can from her. Quietly her small body turned and her hands stretched out towards his neck while her lithe fingers laced behind his neck. Silently, she leaned upward on tip toes towards his mouth and offered out her lips.

He shivered as the can of coffee hung at his fingertips, his free arm dropping down and coiling about her petite waist. Lightly taking her mouth, he could taste the sharp bitterness of the coffee on her lips, however combined with the feel of her lips to his; he could swear he tasted a vast sweetness that defied everything he knew. Her fingers tugged him in deeper while the two hid away in the shadow created by the machine.

Slowly the two parted, a small, playful smile sweeping across Koizumi's lips as he gazed down towards her, "You're bittersweet…"

As if appearing to understand his meaning, she lightly leaned up to peck his cheek before releasing him with an almost coy response, "You are too…"

He smiled a bit as it seemed as if their interaction was rapidly evolving her personality as well as her interactions with him. Maybe he was a tad selfish about coveting her so, but he couldn't help it, he was in love. "So... dinner tonight, Yuki?" he called, a playful smile crossing his lips at the use of her first name.

Taking a couple steps away, she turned towards the club room and glanced over her shoulder towards him, the whole image seeming incredible and fascinatingly beautiful to Koizumi, "That sounds acceptable..." Her small figure paused in mid stride, her eyes showing an almost unnoticeable joy as she added with a small, underlying hint of teasing, "...Itsuki."

With that, Nagato reverted back to her usual persona and practically floated away back to the club room like an ephemeral dream, her hands tucked in behind her back, and leaving Koizumi dumbfounded as well as being totally in awe of her. Glancing towards the coffee drink in his hand, he mused that it was probably exactly halfway drained; right down to the last micro decimal. Shaking his head lightly, he reached to the top of the machine and took Kyon's drink into his free hand while he placed the edge of his shared coffee to his lips.

Smiling pleasantly at the recent memory, he decided to nurse his coffee for as long as possible, as each sip seemed to taste like Nagato's sweet mouth.

Someday, he hoped that when all these problems about Espers, Aliens, Time Travelers, as well as the SOS Brigade came to an end, that she would remain with him, if only to just explore that funny little concept called "love".


End file.
